PEA WEEVILS. 113 



Moor Hall, Alcester, near Eedditcli, it will be seen that he first 

 notices various measures not found of service, and then it will be 

 observed how thoroughly the surface was turned to the bottom, and 

 the piece after sowing heavily rolled down. 



Mr. Cabberley wrote : — " I regret that I found no remedy myself, 

 neither did I hear of any that proved effectual. I planted 16 acres of 

 Peas, 11 of which were early, and 5 a later kind. The 11 acres were 

 totally destroyed. I found no benefit from harrowing and rolling, nor 

 yet from applying soot. It is true, however, that in this case there 

 was little or no leafage for the soot to adhere to, the weevils having 

 eaten off the Peas, stems as well as leaves, level with the ground. 

 These Peas throw up a second and a third shoot, only to be grazed off 

 in a similar manner. By this time the end of April had arrived, so I 

 ploughed up the 11 acres, carefully turning the surface into the 

 bottom ; drilled the whole piece again with ' Prince of Wales ' and 

 ' Duke of Albany ' Peas, and heavily rolled it down. The Peas were 

 through the ground in ten days, and I do not think a leaf was touched 

 by the tveevils, although at the same time they were working at the 

 adjoining 5 acres of late Peas, which had then been up three weeks. 

 The attack upon the 5 acres was not so severe, the Peas getting well 

 into leaf before it commenced. These were drilled in rows a yard 

 apart, and I sowed soot thickly along them in the dew ; yet the weevils 

 were upon the leaves in the afternoon, though the soot was adhering 

 thickly to them at the time. I do not think the dressing had any 

 effect. 



" I had a piece of Vetches in another field which appeared above 

 ground at the same time as the early Peas, and these too were 

 devoured, yet the adjoining lands coming up a little later were not 

 touched. 



" I noticed that a heavily laden cart which passed over scores of 

 the weevils did not appear to injure one of them. When the attack 

 was at its worst the ground was very dry, at the same time the days 

 were hot and sunny, and the nights frosty. 



"I believe nearly all the Peas (in this district) which were then 

 above ground were totally destroyed, whereas those that came up a 

 little later were less seriously injured, or escaped altogether." — 

 (E. A. C.) 



The following letter sent me by Mr. James C. Smith, from Sand- 

 ford Hall, Chelmsford, giving on the 26th of November an account of 

 the completed observation of the infestation, also shows the general 

 uselessness of the remedies tried, and the non-benefit of rolling. Also 

 the destruction of one sowing after another, and the great area of 

 serious damage, namely, 1000 acres. But there is the important 

 point noticed that the Peas sown on the 16th of May overgrew the 



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